Le Mas

Le Mas (Occitan: Lo Mas) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of South-eastern France.

Le Mas
Commune
A general view of the village
A general view of the village
Coat of arms of Le Mas
Coat of arms
Location of Le Mas
Le Mas is located in France
Le Mas
Le Mas
Le Mas is located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Le Mas
Le Mas
Coordinates: 43°50′38″N 6°51′33″E
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
DepartmentAlpes-Maritimes
ArrondissementGrasse
CantonGrasse-1
IntercommunalityCA Pays de Grasse
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Ludovic Sanchez[1]
Area
1
32.15 km2 (12.41 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2020)[2]
100
 • Density3.1/km2 (8.1/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
06081 /06910
Elevation440–1,689 m (1,444–5,541 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Massois, Massoises, or Massoinques.[3]

Geography

Le Mas is located some 45 km north-west of Nice and 32 km east of Castellane in a direct line. Access to the commune is by road D10 which branches from the D5 road on the western border of the commune and passes through the length of the commune through the village before continuing to Aiglun in the east. The D110 branches from the D10 in the west of the commune and passes along the river valley to rejoin the D10 east of the village. The commune is alpine in nature with high mountains and alpine valleys throughout.

The Gironde river flows through the commune from west to east to join the Estéron which forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows south then east joining the Var at Saint-Martin-du-Var. Numerous tributaries feed the Gironde in the commune.

Neighbouring communes and villages[4]

History

Isnard, from the House of Grasse, Commander of St. John of Jerusalem, Prior of Capua, Grand Seneschal of Provence, in recognition of his services received the lands of Mas and Aiglun from Queen Jeanne on 7 July 1348. He donated the land of Aiglun to his cousin Pons of Ferres on 18 May 1349. The fief of Mas passed down to Bertrand II de Grasse. The Grasse family lost the lordship of Mas at the time of the separation of Nice and it subsequently remained with the Counts of Provence.

In 1713 the Treaty of Utrecht provided that Ubaye and its dependencies, formerly under the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, were exchanged for the French areas in the Susa Valley so that the boundary followed the line of the watershed. But the overlapping of territories inherited from history remained: Entraunes and Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes were dependent on Barcelonnette but are in the Var valley while the Piedmontese side upstream of Guillaumes was already French. The Kingdoms of France and Piedmont both claimed them. In addition, in the Estéron Valley the right bank of the Var was Piedmontese which created a tongue of land jutting out into French Provence. In Haut-Var it was ultimately the line of the watershed which prevailed. To provide compensation to France and to reduce the irregularity of the border, the community of Mas was ceded to France in 1718.[5]

For more historical information (in French) click here.

Heraldry
Arms of Le Mas
Arms of Le Mas
 The official status of the blazon remains to be determined.

Blazon:
Azure, a house Argent posed on a hillock Vert; in chief parti per pale, at 1 Gules charged with a cross Argent, at 2 Azure charged with 3 fleurs-de-lis Or 2 and 1.



Administration
The Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors[6]

FromToNameParty
20012007 (died in office)Marcel Rebuffel
20062008Frédéric CastellanoDVD
20082020Fabrice LachenmaierPRG
2020incumbentLudovic Sanchez

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 155 inhabitants.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 467—    
1800 446−0.66%
1806 436−0.38%
1821 460+0.36%
1831 568+2.13%
1836 496−2.67%
1841 503+0.28%
1846 512+0.36%
1851 501−0.43%
1856 430−3.01%
1861 403−1.29%
1866 405+0.10%
1872 387−0.75%
1876 362−1.66%
1881 338−1.36%
1886 344+0.35%
1891 331−0.77%
1896 298−2.08%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 257−2.92%
1906 202−4.70%
1911 165−3.97%
1921 130−2.36%
1926 87−7.72%
1931 67−5.09%
1936 51−5.31%
1946 55+0.76%
1954 46−2.21%
1962 41−1.43%
1968 46+1.94%
1975 25−8.34%
1982 120+25.12%
1990 108−1.31%
1999 136+2.59%
2007 129−0.66%
2012 171+5.80%
2017 155−1.95%
Source: EHESS[7] and INSEE[8]
The entry to Le Mas
Le Mas War Memorial

Culture and heritage
A street in Le Mas
Remains of the old Chateau

Civil heritage
  • The remains of a Chateau from the 11th century
  • A small classical chateau
  • A Mill to the south of the village
  • The Arboretum du Sarroudier

Religious heritage
The Church of Notre-Dame

The Church of Notre-Dame (12th century) is registered as an historical monument[9] The Church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:

  • A Reliquary of Saint Arnoux (16th century)[10]
  • A Bust-Reliquary of Saint Arnoux (16th century)[11]
Other religious sites of interest
  • The Chapel of Saint Arnoux
  • The Chapel of the White Penitents (Now converted to a private residence)
  • The Chapel of Saint Sebastian (Now private)
  • The Hamlet of Sausses with the Chapel of Saint Sauveur and the Oratory of Saint Aman
Le Mas Photo Gallery
  • Le Mas Fountain
    Le Mas Fountain
  • The Chapel of Saint-Arnoux
    The Chapel of Saint-Arnoux
  • The Chapel of Saint-Arnoux interior
    The Chapel of Saint-Arnoux interior
  • The old Chapel of the White Penitents
    The old Chapel of the White Penitents
  • The Chapel of Saint Sebastian
    The Chapel of Saint Sebastian

See also

Bibliography
  • Philippe de Beauchamp, The Misunderstood High Country. Villages & isolated hamlets of Alpes-Maritimes, p. 137, Éditions Serre, Nice, 1989 ISBN 978-2-86410-131-4; p. 159

References
  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. "Populations légales 2020". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
  3. Inhabitants of Alpes-Maritimes (in French)
  4. Géoportail, IGN (in French)
  5. Denis Andreis, "1713-1718: The high Var Valley at the heart of international litigation", At the heart of the Alps: Utrecht, symposium organised by the Museum of, the Eco-Museum of Roudoule, and the Sabença de la Valeia association, 14–16 September 2012. Proceedings published in 2013 (in French)
  6. List of Mayors of France (in French)
  7. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Le Mas, EHESS (in French).
  8. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  9. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00080759 Church of Notre-Dame (in French)
  10. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM06000393 Reliquary of Saint Arnoux (in French)
  11. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM06000392 Bust-Reliquary of Saint Arnoux (in French)
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